What to expect at World Art Dubai: more than 120 galleries from 50 countries

The affordable fair returns this year with new sections on digital works and large-scale installation

Live graffiti painting will take place at World Art Dubai. Photo: World Art Dubai

World Art Dubai, which showcases affordable retail art, returns this year with more than 120 galleries from 50-plus countries.

Taking place from March 16 to 19 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the event comes on the heels of Art Dubai, the city’s more upscale art fair, which wrapped its 15th event at the Madinat Jumeirah on Monday.

Typically, artworks at World Art Dubai are priced from $100 to $20,000.

Like Art Dubai, which had its first digital art section this year, the eighth World Art Dubai will also dedicate a zone to crypto art titled W.A.D Next. In addition, it will provide information on cryptocurrency via a talks programme by MENA Tech and a podcast on NFTs titled Crypto Sheikhs.

Other highlights this year include a display of underwater artworks by Olga Belka, an artist currently working in Singapore. Her works have been created at the bottom of the sea, with the artist taking numerous dives to complete the project.

Galleries from around the world have signed up to showcase their artists, including Monogramma from Rome, Bahareh Aref Gallery, which is based in Germany and showcases Iranian art, 3D Artworks from Saudi Arabia, South Trip Gallery from Chile, and Ephemereye Gallery from the US, which will unveil its presentations at W.A.D Next.

This year, the fair will also welcome its first installation work: Global Gate by Leon Lowentraut. The massive arch structure is covered in the German artist’s drawings which relate to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations.

The work is known as one of the largest mobile artwork in existence, made up of 37 sea freight containers and weighing about 140 tonnes. It was on display at Dubai’s Burj Park earlier this year.

A returning favourite is Urban Art DXB, which will feature performances, including a Voguing Dancefloor, and competitions on breakdancing and freestyle.

The section is led by Kuwaiti street artist and art director Ahmed Al Rashid and will have live graffiti performance on site. Visitors can vote for the performances in a People’s Choice competition during the event.

For 2022, one of World Art Dubai’s largest sections — Around the World, which focuses on artwork from a specific country — will showcase Japan. The dedicated pavilion at the fair will display works by 68 artists and will also host live performances, calligraphy workshops and a kimono show.

Throughout the event, a total of more than 4,000 works by local and international artists such as Jalal Abuthina, Ahsen Kucukcalik, Hend Rashid, Atiqa Kayed and Tomek Kulinski, among others, will be on view.

World Art Dubai will take place from March 16 to 19 at World Trade Centre. Tickets are priced at Dh20 for adults and Dh10 for children aged between 12 to 18 years old, and free for children under 12. More information is on worldartdubai.com